Westringia fruticosa plant named &#39;WES06&#39;

ABSTRACT

‘WES06’ is a distinctive variety of  Westringia fruticosa  which is characterized by the combination of very short plant height, decumbent growth habit, and greyed-green leaves.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

The Latin name of the genus and species of the novel variety disclosedherein is Westringia fruticosa.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

The inventive variety of Westringia fruticosa disclosed herein has beengiven the variety denomination ‘WES06’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct perennial variety ofWestringia fruticosa, which has been given the variety denomination of‘WES06’. Its market class is that of a shrub. ‘WES06’ is intended foruse in general landscaping and as a decorative plant.

Parentage:

The Westringia fruticosa variety ‘WES06’ is a seedling selection whichresulted from a controlled pollination breeding program from 2005 to2010 in Cobbitty, NSW Australia. ‘WES06’ is a progeny of an outcrossingbreeding program which resulted from the cross pollination of femaleparent line Westringia fruticosa ‘WES05’ (unpatented) and a male parentline which is an unnamed sibling of Westringia fruticosa ‘WES05’(unpatented). Controlled pollination of the parents occurred in 2005 andresulting seed from said cross was harvested in November 2007 was sownin March of 2008 in accord with standard greenhouse propagationpractices. In September of 2008, the resulting young plants weretransplanted into 15 cm nursery containers and relocated to an outdoortrial area for field observations. Progeny were further observed fordesired commercial characteristics, and in September 2010, one candidatewas selected for its very low height, mounded habit, grey-green foliageand heavy flower habit. The cultivar was named ‘WES06’.

Asexual Reproduction:

‘WES06’ was first propagated asexually by softwood cuttings at acommercial breeding facility in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia in2010 and has since been asexually propagated by division through tensuccessive generations. The distinctive characteristics of the inventive‘WES06’ variety are stable from generation to generation; clones of thevariety produced by asexual reproduction maintain the distinguishingcharacteristics of the original plant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘WES06’ is a distinctive variety of Westringia fruticosa which ischaracterized by the combination of very short plant height, decumbentgrowth habit, and greyed-green leaves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary (approximate) 3-year old ‘WES06’ plant in thelandscape.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary flower of ‘WES06’.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed botanical description of a new and distinctvariety of a Westringia fruticosa ornamental plant known as ‘WES06’.Unless indicated otherwise, the descriptions disclosed herein are basedupon observations made from an (approximate) 3-year old ‘WES06’ plant,established in a full-sun landscape in Richmond, New South Wales,Australia. Said plant was transplanted into the landscape from afully-rooted 15 cm nursery pot, grown in soilless potting media, fromrooted cuttings from May 2010 to November 2011. Once transplanted intothe landscape, the observed plant was maintained with granular slowrelease fertilizer and regularly watered with overhead irrigation. Nopest and disease measures were taken.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain characteristicswill vary with older or, conversely, younger plants. ‘WES06’ has notbeen observed under all possible environmental conditions. Wheredimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is tobe understood that such characteristics are approximations or averagesset forth as accurately as practicable. The phenotype of the variety mayvary with variations in the environment such as season, temperature,light intensity, day length, cultural conditions and the like. Colornotations are based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, TheRoyal Horticultural Society, London, 2001 edition. Note that genericcolor descriptions such as ‘white’ do not exist in the R.H.S. charts andthe corresponding R.H.S. colors are quoted.

-   Technical description of the variety:-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit.—Shrub; very short height and dense, with a            prostrate to decumbent growth habit.        -   Height.—200 mm.        -   Width.—1000 mm.        -   Bloom period.—Spring and sporadically at other times of            year, depending on climate.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 9 to 11.        -   Propagation.—Propagation is accomplished using semi-hard            wood cuttings. Roots well without rooting compound or            hormone.        -   Time to develop roots.—approximately 3 to 4 weeks.        -   Crop time.—From approximately three to five months are            needed to produce a well rooted 15 cm nursery pot, starting            from a rooted cutting. Crop time varies with location and            production practices.        -   Pest and disease susceptibility or resistance.—In common            with the species, none of note.-   Roots: The roots of ‘WES06’ are colored white and fleshy and thick,    similar to other Westringia fruticosa.-   Stem:    -   -   Stem strength.—Medium rigidity.        -   Attitude.—Prostrate to decumbent.        -   Shape.—Cylindrical yet angular.        -   Stem color.—Young stem is closest to green 137C.        -   Stem dimensions.—mature stem, 6 nodes below the actively            growing tip, are approximately 16 mm in length with a            diameter of 1.7 mm.        -   Stem surface.—Corky and pruinose.        -   Basal stem color.—mature stems closest to yellow green 199A.        -   Internode length.—12 mm on average.-   Foliage:    -   -   Type.—Evergreen.        -   Shape.—Elliptical, narrow.        -   Division.—Simple.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Venation.—reticulate but not obvious.        -   Vein color (adaxial surfaces).—137A.        -   Vein color (abaxial surfaces).—192D.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Arrangement.—Whorled.        -   Attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Texture.—Leathery.        -   Surfaces (adaxial surface).—Finely pubescent to glabrous.        -   Surfaces (abaxial surface).—Heavily pubescent.        -   Mature leaf dimensions.—average length, 18 mm; width is 3            mm.        -   Leaf color (adaxial surface).—137A.        -   Leaf color (abaxial surface).—192D.        -   Petiole.—Approximately 2 mm in length; width minute.        -   Stipules.—absent.-   Inflorescence: Flowers are sessile.-   Bud: Obovoid in shape and rounded at the apex. Approximately 5 mm    long and 2.5 mm wide prior to dehiscence. Color is white 155A.-   Flower:    -   -   General.—Flowers are sessile, simple and persist for            approximately 5 days. Self cleaning. Non fragrant.        -   Flowers.—Small; Sympetalous, irregular with petals numbering            five, width across the corolla measuring on average 12 mm;            length of the perianth, from base of calyx to the furthest            outstretched point of the corolla, measures 14 mm; color            approximates to white N155D. Spots, or “eyes”, present;            color closest to violet 84B. Margins cilliate; all surfaces            are pubescent.        -   Calyx.—Synsepalous with five pointed calyx lobes; color is            greyed-green 192B. The length of the calyx, including sepal            lobes, is 6 mm.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—4 and 2 staminodes.        -   Stamen color.—Grey-brown 199A.        -   Stamen dimensions.—About 4 mm in length and very thin.        -   Attachment.—Adnate.        -   Anther dimensions.—Bilobate; approximately 0.5 mm long.        -   Anther color.—White 155D to yellow-white 158B and            translucent.        -   Pollen.—Absent.        -   Pistil.—One.        -   Pistil dimensions.—About 7 mm in length and very thin.        -   Pistil color.—155D and slightly translucent.        -   Ovary position.—Inferior.-   Fruit and seed: Observations not yet recorded.-   Environmental tolerances:    -   -   Cold and heat tolerance.—The winter hardiness of ‘WES06’ is            at least to USDA Zone 9a and evaluation of winter hardiness            is ongoing. ‘WES06’ has heat tolerance typical of Westringia            fruticosa.        -   Drought tolerance.—‘WES06’ has good drought tolerance            typical of Westringia fruticosa once established.        -   Pest resistance.—No known insect pests. ‘WES06’ has disease            tolerance typical of Westringia fruticosa.        -   Cultural conditions.—Westringia is commonly known to perform            well in sandy soils, but also tolerates heavy, clay-type            soils well. ‘WES06’ can also be grown in a relatively wide            pH range and is also tolerant of above-normal salt            concentration in the soil environment and is also tolerant            of aerosol salt exposure; e.g. coastal exposure to salt            laden winds.-   Comparison of WES06 with other varieties of Westringia fruticosa:    ‘WES06’ is similar to two varieties known to the breeder: Westringia    fruticosa ‘WES05’ (unpatented) and Westringia fruticosa ‘NFL25’    (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/461,416), in that all three    varieties have a low plant height and prostrate to decumbent growth    habit by comparison to the species, Westringia fruticosa common    form. However ‘WES06’ has a shorter plant height than both ‘WES05’    and ‘NFL25’. ‘WES06’ is a short plant measuring approximately 20 cm    in field grown trials whereas ‘WES05’ plants of similar age are    approximately 45 cm tall to the tallest branch and ‘NFL25’ plants of    similar age are approximately 30 cm tall.

The flowers of ‘WES06’ are smaller than those of ‘NFL25’ and ‘WES05’.The width across the perianths of both ‘NFL25’ and ‘WES05’ are bothapproximately 15 mm wide with a length, from base of calyx to thefurthest outstretched petal, of approximately 21 mm whereas the flowerdimensions of ‘WES06’ are 12 mm across and 14 mm long.

The leaves of ‘WES06’ are smaller than those of ‘NFL25’. The leaves of‘NFL25’ measure 19.9 mm long and 4.1 mm wide, on average, whereas theleaves of ‘WES06’ have an average length and width of 18 mm and 3 mm,respectively. The combination of its short plant height, decumbent habitand greyed-green leaves makes ‘WES06’ a desirable ornamental plantsuited for mass production for pot and landscape use.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Westringiafruticosa plant named ‘WES06’, substantially as described andillustrated herein.